AMERICAN IMMIGRATION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18787, 14 February 1923, Page 7

AMERICAN IMMIGRATION

DISCRIMINATORY LEGISLATION. JAPANESE PRESS PROTESTS. Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright TOKIO, February 12. The Minister of Foreign Affairs (Count Uchida), in replying to the Diet interpellations regarding th£ United States Supreme Court's deccision, said:—“This decision loaves no room for intervention. Naturalisation conditions * imposed bv nature cannot be forced upon any country. Japan therefore does not intend to demand that the United States shall grant citizenship to the Japanese, but it regrets such an application of naturalisation jaws discriminating against Japanese settlors. A satisfactory solution of this problem will bo sought at the proper time.” The Japanese press protests against the United States Immigration Bill.

The Nichinichi Shimbuu expresses disappointment at the inconsistency of the Americans, who talk, of fairness and the open door, but who support such discriminatory legislation. The Yomiuri Shimbun suggests that Japan should obtain American approval of Japanese expansion in Mongolia and Manchuria as a recompense for American discrimination against Japanese immigrants to the United States. —A. and N.Z. Cable. [The American Supreme Court ruled that the Japanese are not white within the meaning of the American law. Therefore they were not entitled to American citizenship. The decision in the case arose out of applications by Tekuji Yamashita and Charles Hio Kono for naturalisation for the purpose of forming a business partnership ; also an application by Olawa for American citizenship on the ground that ho was a descendant of a white tribe (the Ainus) in Japan, which, he claimed, was of true Caucasian stock. The Supreme Cburt. while pointing out that its decision in no way established a line of demarcation in the matter of intellectuality, upheld the ruling of several of the lower courts, which had agreed that the Japanese were clearly not Caucasians; therefore, they were not white within the meaning of the law.]